Forever Could Be Ours

Chapter 22. | Whirlwind of Leaves

ALEXANDER

The crisp autumn air whispers through the empty streets, letting a whirlwind of withered red-orange leaves whirl at my feet as I sprint up the steep hill.

After teaching a morning class at Annandale, chasing a Social Sciences class at noon, and spending the evening setting up sound equipment with Marco, the very last thing I should contemplate is chasing half a marathon at midnight.

But when thoughts pile up without cracks to breathe, running is the route to escape reality, letting me shed layers of anxiety from the relentless pressure of classes, planning and executing the internship, and trying to sleep.

Expect, I never sleep. Sleeping is a distant melody unheard in the symphony of a tireless soul.

The first time I found myself unable to endure the weight of my parents' words any longer, I slipped out without them noticing. In public, my parents always appeared as the epitome of a perfect couple—smiling brightly, arms wrapped around each other, radiating warmth and love.

And I trusted that – being a naive kid and all.

But as I grew older, I realized the extend of what my brothers had done throughout the years to protect me. Looking back, they did everything in their power to shield me from the worst of our parents' fights. Keeping me occupied in Josh's bedroom while playing video games or hearing music to drown out the sounds of their discord.

When Josh left for college and Brad moved to Melbourne, I stood in my bedroom alone, pressing the palms of my sweaty hands in a weak attempt to block out their shouting, that I left for my first nightly jog.

In my last year of high school, an encounter changed everything and my parents signed up for marriage counseling. When I got admitted to USYD and moved in with Tristan, they started a new beginning and remarried.

While everyone watched them clink their champagne glasses together like all their fights never happened, the damage of stress and insomnia was permanent in my body.

I haven't been able to get past it ever since.

"Hey," I'm surprised to see Tristan awake, standing in our kitchen in his boxers while eating a bowl of leftover chicken and rice. "I thought you went to bed."

His tired face lits as I push off my shoes, closing the front door with my shoulder. "Something came up." He says, scooping a spoonful of rice in his mouth. "There's a surprise waiting for you in your bedroom."

Concern travels up my spine. "Please don't say you brought home twins again."

"No," Tristan grins, shaking his head. "Twins only happen once in a lifetime, Reid."

I tumble behind him up the stairs with a concerned look scattered across my sweaty face. "Wouldn't surprise anyone if you brought home triplets."

With each step, my brain runs through every element of surprise Tristan can possibly offer. Nothing beats the way he smirks at me, it's an open invitation for trouble–

Hayleigh.

There's no way. My eyes must betray the rest of my senses, including my brain.

Blinking doesn't change anything. She's still there. Sprawled on my pillow with hair in her face, fully clothed in jeans and a hoodie and my entire bedroom reeks with the smell of smoke.

"What is she–" I turn to Tristan in confusion, spotting him wiggling my phone in his hand. I suck in a deep breath, overwhelmed by the thoughts of concern running a mile in my head. "What happened?"